Recent content by larryboy

A few comments. My math is ballpark - I didn't hire an accountant to crunch the numbers. Your tax rate will be 28%, not 30%. Thank you for pointing that out, but the overall picture is still the same. Don't fool yourselves. 250K is a very average debt load. Don't underestimate how...

Absolutely. That, in my opinion, is the only way to do primary care and stay financially afloat and keeping your altruism intact. The other option is to marry rich.

Hi all, It's been a while. I've had a number of people ask me whether or not medical school is worth it. Tough question to answer, but it's a very valid question that I think everyone should ask prior to beginning on their journey. I think the only answer that I feel comfortable with...

here's my contribution. www.medicalcraponomics.blogspot.com random posts on an internists (my) view of the world of healthcare. some serious posts, most not. enjoy!

Hmmmm. If by living in a studio apartment in Kansas without a spouse or kids and eating like a college student, then yes, you can live off it. That's about what I took home per month in residency. You live month to month praying to god that the car doesn't need repairs or the kid doesn't...

This. Debt will crush your altruism in a remarkably short period of time. You will essentially be mortgaging 7+ years of your life before you start making good money. By that time, you will be paying 2-4k a month for the next 10-30 years of your life. This doesn't seem like a lot to...

this is a take off of the "Crazy Pre-meds" thread. how about crazy patients? unfortunately there are crazy people everywhere, but you'll see more crazies as physicians than perhaps anywhere else. And I'm not talking just about psychiatrists - you all will see them on a daily basis...

hey all, here's a little tidbit of info that has helped me along the way - take it or leave it. part of deciding on a specialty is knowing what you don't like doing. the only way you can know what you don't like is by getting your hands dirty and trying new things. you'll be surprised...

hello all, recently a family member asked me if i though that medical school/residency etc was worth all of the time and money that i had to put into it to get where i am. many of you probably have the same question. i found myself telling him that for most people taking out loans, it's...

there are programs out there, and i would highly recommend anyone going in to primary care at least take a look at them. you might find something that works for you. the pay isn't bad from what i've seen/heard. outpatient care reimbursement is pretty standard from what i've seen, unless you...

i'll try to answer these as best I can. i think IM residents will continue to choose hospitalist work by and large until the outpatient jobs seem more attractive to them. i primarily do hospitalist work now, with a bit of clinic mixed in. i can tell you coming out of residency that...

yes, you've got a good business mind i see. i think an unintended consquence of obamacare will be that more concierge (or cash only) practices will start to pop up. i think they are a great idea. there will always be people willing to pay more for a bit of extra service - especially if they...

hi lisa, you must have kids - veggie tales is a favorite in the house right now. love it. i started out wanting to do FM and changed to IM at the last minute. for me, there were a couple of reasons. 1) i just couldn't get excited about ob. almost fainted seeing a 3rd degree tear - still...

sirdudeness you've hit the nail on the head. unfortunately with the cost of tuition these days, you absolutely must factor future reimbursement in the equation unless you are ok with taking a large financial hit. i wish it weren't this way, but it is. i too hope that this will change at...

If primary care continues on the path that it is currently on, then yes, I see the physician extender (i know they don't like that term, but i used it anyway) model as the only financially viable one. the bottom line is that we live in a setting of increasing overhead and declining...